Chapter 3072 - The Power of Fate

The run-down jade box was actually a Coffin for the Living, and it most likely contained a sleeping Heavenly Sovereign of the early days of the Primordial Era.

“Such Coffins for the Living are extremely rare, and it’s highly unusual for Heavenly Sovereigns to make them for themselves,” transmitted Hua Qingyi. “Such treasures are only useful in the face of insurmountable peril.

“And of course, the coffin could contain a Heavenly Sovereign, but it could also contain someone or something important to them.”

Su Yi transmitted back, “So it’s a blind box?”

“A blind box?” Hua Qingyi blinked in surprise before realizing what he was getting at. “That’s right. Without opening the seal, no one has any way of knowing what’s really inside.”

Su Yi pondered briefly. “We can say with certainty that the box is the work of a Heavenly Sovereign. Whether it’s a person or an object, whatever’s hidden inside is sure to be extraordinary.”

He figured that if he was going to be generous, he might as well be thorough about it, so he proffered it to her. “If you like the box, you can have it, too.”

He had no lack of treasures, nor did he lack for assorted strange beings. Hua Qingyi and True Progenitor Shi Yin aside, the Book of Destiny confined numerous terrifying entities, like Mo Hanyi and several other Destiny Demons.

Given the circumstances, Su Yi had no desire to invite trouble by opening a Heavenly Sovereign’s blind box.

Hua Qingyi snorted coldly. “I have no interest. Since you acquired it, it’s connected to you by fate. You should just keep it for yourself.”

Then, she put the box away, offering Su Yi no further opportunities to chat.

Su Yi couldn’t help but rub his forehead.

In the end, he put away his dilapidated blind box. He planned to try and uncover its secrets later.

As their little boat flew along, the fog enshrouding the ocean thickened. All was silent and still.

Suddenly, the boat came to an abrupt halt, and both River Ancestors gazed into the distance. They weren’t sure when, but a figure had appeared on the distant surface of the water. It was only dimly discernible through the fog.

Upon closer inspection, it was the desiccated corpse of an old man holding a cracked mirror caked with blood.

A Sovereign Corpse!

Both River Ancestors looked stricken. Sovereign Corpses were among the most dangerous entities of the Sea of Fate, but they typically slumbered on the seabed. Millions of years might pass between encounters.

Although they were rare, they were far more dangerous than Fate Tribulation Light, and they were far stronger, too, to the point that they struck terror into the hearts of River Ancestors and Heavenly Sovereigns alike.

But the real reason the River Ancestors looked stricken was that River Ancestor Luo Yu’s avatar had mentioned this very Sovereign Corpse in his report.

This was the old man who’d conversed with Heavenly Sovereign E not long ago!

“We’re with Heavenly Sovereign E and the others, and we’re on our way to the Blood Lotus Forbidden Domain. Please step aside and let us through,” River Ancestor Luo Yu said gravely.

The Sovereign Corpse said nothing. He just fixed his calm, indifferent gaze on Su Yi and the River Ancestors.

His frame was withered, and his features were terrifying. His presence was utterly strange, cold, and ferocious.

“Leave... the Cauldron of Fate... behind...” said the desiccated corpse with great difficulty, his voice starting and stopping. “Or else... die!”

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, he raised his broken mirror.

Kcch!

The spider web of cracks smeared with blood now reflected Su Yi and his companions.

Both River Ancestors stiffened as a strange power assailed their seas of consciousness. Their souls felt a powerful impact, and they almost lost consciousness.

At a critical juncture, they circulated their cultivation bases, narrowly blocking that strange force. Even so, their expressions shifted.

The strange mirror was a terrifying magic treasure that targeted the soul!

River Ancestor Hu Chan bellowed, his massive frame like a mountain in motion. He gripped a bronze staff as thick as a stone pillar and swung it at the Sovereign Corpse.

Boom!

The surrounding ten thousand miles of ocean were thrown into upheaval. The skies shattered.

The Sovereign Corpse made no attempt to block. Instead, he sank into the sea.

River Ancestor Hu Chan’s strike was incomparably tyrannical, yet it silently vanished, neutralized by those seemingly calm waters without producing even the slightest ripple.

River Ancestor Hu Chan’s gaze focused, while River Ancestor Luo Yu had a strong sense of foreboding.

All external powers and treasures were neutralized upon hitting the water’s surface, like snow melting into water. That meant that so long as the Sovereign Corpse hid underwater, he was effectively invincible!

They weren’t sure when, but Su Yi had risen to his feet and arrived at the head of the boat.

“The Buried... Soul Mirror has... already captured your souls... There’s nowhere... to run...” The Sovereign Corpse pointed from beneath the ink-black waters and stretched out a long, pallid finger. “All I need to do... is tap the Buried Soul Mirror and you... will perish! Your souls... will scatter!”

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, the Sovereign Corpse’s pallid finger tapped Su Yi’s reflection.

The two River Ancestors’ hearts clenched, and their expressions shifted. Even if you’d hit them over the head, they would never have guessed that the Sovereign Corpse would be so ruthless. He’d attacked without even giving them any room to negotiate!

They wanted to stop him, but it was too late.

In truth, try as they might, there was nothing they could do to stop this, as the Sovereign Corpse was hiding underwater!

But then, the Sovereign Corpse froze, stunned. His fingers had touched the broken glass, but Su Yi’s reflection had vanished.

The two River Ancestors realized this immediately. Both broke out in cold sweats, then instinctively glanced at Su Yi.

It was then that Su Yi finally spoke. “Leave this to me.”

He raised his right hand, and a mysterious jade tablet floated into the air.

When he swung his arm, a rain of gray, ethereal sword qi burst forth, then attacked from afar.

An unbelievable scene followed.

The water that not even River Ancestors could shake split beneath that murky gray sword qi, creating a startling rift. The water then crackled and churned like boiling oil.

The Sovereign Corpse was caught off guard, and the sword qi left a deep gash in his chest.

“The power of Past Karma! You...” The decrepit corpse cried out in alarm, but here, his voice came to an abrupt halt. The rest was left unsaid.

Countless arcs of sword qi descended from the heavens, cleaving into the water and toward the fleeing Sovereign Corpse.

There were thousands upon thousands of them, all of them combining into one dense onslaught!

The Sovereign Corpse fled immediately, shooting toward the distant waters like mad, but he was one step too late.

When the sword qi cleaved into him, the seawater exploded, stirring up fierce, churning waves.

The Sovereign Corpse couldn’t avoid the sword qi, and the countless streaks left his withered body riddled with gashes.

Like rotten wood on the verge of being chopped to pieces.

The sight left the two River Ancestors overcome with astonishment. No one has ever managed to shake the waters of the Sea of Fate, let alone injure a terrifying Sovereign Corpse like this!

The most unbelievable part was that Su Yi’s sword qi seemed like the natural bane of strange creatures like the Sovereign Corpse. Every streak injured him, and as if that weren’t shocking enough, he couldn’t fight back at all. Even his ferocious aura weakened!

In the end, the Sovereign Corpse could no longer take it. His hole-ridden body split into pieces, then vanished.

His withered body split into chunks, then melted into inky liquid and vanished into the dark seawater.

All of this happened in a flash.

When Su Yi lowered his hand, the surrounding water was still churning as if boiling. Fierce waves of turbid water rose into the heavens.

A Sovereign Corpse... was destroyed, just like that? The River Ancestors exchanged glances. Both were too astonished for words.

Su Yi let out a long breath, then glanced at the Medallion of Past Karma. True Progenitor Shi Yin really didn’t lie to me. Here in the Sea of Fate, Past Karma really is the strongest weapon around. It’s invincible against these Sovereign Corpses!

That was why the Destiny Demons had chosen to establish themselves in the Sea of Fate during the Primordial Era. But the power of Past Karma was only a counter to undead beings like the Sovereign Corpses. By the same token, it was also useful in the Sea of Fate.

“Right, send word to your avatar,” ordered Su Yi.

River Ancestor Luo Yu hurriedly did as he was told. Deep within his heart, he now admired Destiny’s Chosen to the point that he longed to prostrate himself before him.

“Chosen, does the power of the Book of Destiny perhaps counter these reanimated ancient corpses?” River Ancestor Hu Chan couldn’t help but ask.

Not even he had realized it, but his attitude toward Su Yi had silently shifted. There was a newfound tentativeness about him, which made him seem humbler and more servile.

Su Yi blinked. He hadn’t considered this question.

The Book of Destiny had the power to determine the fate of all denizens of the River of Destiny, but Su Yi hadn’t tried using it on the Sovereign Corpse or other long-dead beings.

Su Yi explained, “I used the Destiny Demons’ Ancestral Destiny Artifact. With it, I control the power of Past Karma.”

The two River Ancestors quickly understood, but at the same time, they found this explanation absurd.

After all, they were both fully aware that Destiny’s Chosen and the Destiny Demons were irreconcilable enemies! Yet now, Destiny’s Chosen was using one of their treasures. How ridiculous was that?

Still, this increased the two River Ancestors’ confidence in the rest of the expedition.

...

Meanwhile, in the far reaches of the Sea of Fate, dense tribulation clouds hung silently beneath the dome of heaven, like mountains hanging upside-down.

An enormous lotus-shaped platform stood amidst the mist. The “lotus” part was above the water, but the platform extended into the water’s depths. There was no telling how far down it really went.

Heavenly Sovereign E and the others came to a halt atop it.

“Everyone, that lotus platform is the entrance to the Blood Lotus Forbidden Domain,” Heavenly Sovereign E said softly.

On their way here, he’d transmitted some of the secrets of this expedition to the other Heavenly Sovereigns, including information about the Blood Lotus Forbidden Domain.

Thus, the other Heavenly Sovereigns perked up. All of them looked eager.

Heavenly Sovereign E suddenly turned to smile at River Ancestor Luo Yu’s avatar. “Why not take a moment to confirm whether or not Su Yi is still alive to make it here?”